Helena: When’s your baby due?

Tina blushes. She lets out a nervous giggle and looks down at her baby bump. She wasn’t expecting the question but moreover she was stunned at Helena’s perception. For months no one knew about her pregnancy except her OBGYN, and her attorney. Dr. Wilson had been shocked not only to learn that Tina was already 8 weeks pregnant when she came in for her first prenatal exam but astounded that she’d kept the pregnancy secret from her long-time partner Bette Porter. It was then that Tina revealed to the doctor that she and Bette were separated due to Bette’s infidelity.

The couple had been having problems in their marriage ever since Tina’s previous pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Tina became depressed and closed off while Bette buried herself in work. It wasn’t long before the strain took its toll and Bette found comfort in the arms of another woman. The affair was brief and meaningless but it cost Bette everything.

Unbeknownst to Bette Tina’s depression was driven by guilt. She took responsibility for the miscarriage and for disappointing Bette since she knew how much having a baby meant to her. In her state Tina thought she could fix things by getting pregnant again but this time she self-inseminated. Her reason for not involving Bette was that she wanted to be sure the second pregnancy was viable. She didn’t think Bette could handle another miscarriage.

Bette was oblivious to the fact that her life-long partner was already pregnant on that fateful night when Tina found out about the affair and confronted her. Bette begged and pleaded for forgiveness but the broken trust wasn’t something Tina could forgive. She walked out of the relationship and sought legal counsel without ever telling Bette about the baby. She was determined to have it on her own. She’d kept it a secret by making herself scarce and hiding her growing belly under oversized clothing. She didn’t even reveal it to her lawyer at first but the sharp attorney wasn’t fooled by Tina’s attempt to disguise it. Just the week before Tina had broken down and told her best friend Alice Pieszechi.

Tina swore Alice to secrecy but knew that was a misnomer. Alice couldn’t keep a secret to save her life especially something this juicy. It was then that Tina decided she had to tell Bette. Although they were estranged as of two days before they were again sharing a house. Tina was staying in the guestroom temporarily until she found a place of her own. She’d tried the night before at dinner to tell Bette about the pregnancy but couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Like their phone conversation earlier that morning Bette was on a rant about Helena Peabody. Later in the evening before going to bed Bette had come into the guest bedroom to apologize.